SB Nation - Mike Golic Jr

Conversations with the Enemy: Talking Notre Dame with Inside the Irish

LVS — Wed, 12 Sep 2012 13:00:41 -0000

Welcome back to another season of Conversations with the Enemy, wherein we shock and awe opposing bloggers with mildly antagonistic questions about upcoming games. For the fourth year in a row, Keith Arnold, author of NBC Sports' excellent Inside the Irish blog, stops by to provide insight on our rivals from South Bend.

My answers to his questions about MSU will be up on his site later this morning. Below, I'm in bold:

No need to bury the lede: Will it be Everett Golson or Tommy Rees?

It will absolutely be Everett Golson. Brian Kelly announced it in his post game interview with NBC's Alex Flanagan and repeated himself in the presser. But that doesn't mean Kelly hasn't reserved the right to go to Rees when he feels like it, who has the trust of his teammates and coaching staff... but not an ounce of support from the fan base.

What Golson has done in the Irish's first two games has been pretty impressive. Outside of forcing a ball into coverage against Navy, he's shown good decision making, a strong arm, great poise, and good elusiveness. He did have a costly fumble late in the game against Purdue, but he's put up very good numbers, all while learning on the fly.

ND averaged 1.4 yards per carry against Purdue. What happened? Is it mostly a problem with the offensive line, or is the return of Cierre Wood going to make all the difference?

Irish fans were ready to anoint the starting offensive line one of the best in the post-Lou Holtz era. And then Saturday happened. The Irish were whipped up front by a stout Purdue front featuring a lot of talent that flooded the box and challenged the Irish to throw. Rewatching the game, Mike Golic Jr. got handled by Kawann Short, and standouts Braxston Cave and Zack Martin didn't play their best. But this is a strong unit, and they'll rebound after a tough week.

Welcoming Cierre Wood back to the running back rotation will definitely help, and it'll give the Irish some flexibility with Theo Riddick and George Atkinson, a guy that absolutely needs to get more touches as the Irish's home run threat. A renewed commitment to the run in the offensive game plan won't hurt either.

More, after the jump.

Tyler Eifert has inherited the title of Notre Dame Receiver That Terrifies Me. (Averaging 24.5 yards per catch with a long of 29 is kind of ridiculous for a tight end.) Is there an update on his status for Saturday? Assuming he plays, how integral is he to ND's offense, and how is the rest of the receiving corps?

He's already been cleared to return to practice and will be fine for Saturday night. And you are correct, he's a terrifying player, and at 6-foot-6, 250-pounds with great speed, he's probably the best of the tight ends that have come out of South Bend lately, a position group that's been on a pretty good run (one that'll likely continue with converted linebacker Troy Niklas, a 6-foot-7, 260-pound true sophomore nicknamed 'Hercules' by his teammates).

Put simply, Eifert is the Irish's best receiver, and the offense uses him like one. You're just as likely to see him split out wide as you are attached to a formation, and he's a dangerous player in the red zone on fade routes who also can make his living catching balls up the seam. New offensive coordinator Chuck Martin has made it simple for his quarterbacks. If you see Eifert in single coverage, throw him the ball. He likely would've put up even bigger numbers against Purdue if he didn't get his bell rung and sit out the fourth quarter.

If you're Dan Roushar, how do you attack the Irish defense? What would you stay away from?

It all depends on if you trust Andrew Maxwell. Notre Dame is really green in the back end of it's defense, starting two new corners including true freshman KeiVarae Russell, who planned on playing running back this season until switching sides of the ball the first day of fall camp. The Irish front seven is the best its been in years, so running the ball might be tough, especially if Kapron Lewis-Moore is healthy after leaving last Saturday's game with a calf strain. There's almost 1,000 pounds spread across Notre Dame's three man front with Louis Nix and Stephon Tuitt joining Lewis-Moore. Nix is probably the Irish's best defensive tackle since Trevor Laws and Mel Kiper Jr. called Tuitt the best defensive lineman in college football (and that was before he added two more sacks against Purdue). Even if you only take half of what Kiper says seriously, that has to mean something, right?

Roushar should follow the blueprint USC has laid out: A heavy dose of play-action passing. With the Irish linebackers playing downhill, attacking the middle of the field through the air has worked pretty well for opponents. (See Purdue's game tying 4th down conversion where Carlo Calabrese left his jockstrap on the five yard-line after Antavian Edison beat him on a double move.) After getting gashed badly in 2010, the Irish shut down the Spartan ground game last season. Michigan State will need to establish the run, if only to utilize the play-action game.

Name one player on ND's offense and one player on ND's defense for MSU fans to keep an eye on this Saturday night.

I'm going to take obvious players like All-Americans Tyler Eifert and Manti Te'o off the list, just to keep things interesting. On offense, keep your eye on George Atkinson. The 215-pound sophomore running back only got one carry last week, but broke a 56-yard touchdown run against Navy and is one of the most explosive players the Irish have had in a long time. He's got elite speed (he ran a 10.36 100m dash this spring while moonlighting with the track team) and he brought back two kickoffs for touchdowns last year as a freshman.

On the defensive side of the ball, you've got to keep an eye on Stephon Tuitt. Kiper's kudos aside, he's the key to the defensive line and is making Irish fans forget Aaron Lynch. Tuitt is a mammoth guy for a true sophomore and he'll slide inside on passing downs while holding down the edge of the defense in a 3-4 set. The Irish had a rock solid game against the Spartan's offensive line last year and that should be one of the game's biggest match-ups.

What's the single biggest key for the Irish to escape East Lansing with a win?

It has to be whether or not Everett Golson can operate the Irish offense in extremely hostile territory. The biggest worry Brian Kelly and company had going into this season was Golson's ability to run the offensive operation, not whether or not he can throw it or run it. Against Purdue, the Irish had burned all their second-half timeouts with over 11 minutes to go in the fourth quarter. And that was a home game.

After watching Purdue shut down confuse the Irish pre snap, key on the running game and challenge the Irish receivers with man coverage, you have expect Pat Narduzzi to do the same thing. If he can bait the young quarterback into making some bad decisions and force some turnovers, it's going to be a long night for Notre Dame.

Many thanks to Keith.

MnB B1G Preview: Notre Dame

maize_in_spartyland — Wed, 25 Jul 2012 22:00:08 -0000

Each Wednesday, up through August, I’ll cover a different Big Ten team or Michigan non-conference opponent. Today I’m covering the Notre Dame Fighting Irish who Michigan will play in South Bend, Indiana on September 22^nd at 7:30 PM EST on NBC. Michigan leads the series 23-15-1. The Wolverines have won three straight and five of the last six against the Irish. Each of the last three games were decided in the closing minutes, with four points being the margin of victory each time. According to the Golden Nugget Las Vegas’s opening betting lines, released on June 11^th, Michigan is a 1-point underdog to Notre Dame. Of the last 13 meetings, the home team is 10-3, but 9 of those meetings have resulted in the underdog winning (including four straight and seven of the last eight).

To see all of our football previews, click here.

2012 Notre Dame Irish Football Preview

2011 Record: 8-5

Head Coach: Brian Kelly, third season (16-10 at Notre Dame) (187-66-2 overall)

Projected Returning Starters: 16

Spring Game: April 21^st (Gold 42 Blue 31)

Notes: Bob Davie was 16-9 through his first two seasons at Notre Dame, he went 5-7, 9-3, and 5-6 and was fired by the school at the conclusion of the 2001 season. Davie’s replacement, Ty Willingham, was 15-10 in his first two seasons, going 6-5 in his third, and final season, 2004. Charlie Weis has had the best record in his first two seasons since Lou Holtz left South Bend, with a record of 19-6. However, he went 3-9, 7-6, and 6-6 and was fired at the conclusion of the 2009 season. Kelly’s record is very comparable to Davie’s and Willingham’s, each who faltered in their third seasons. Suffice it to say, the third season is a very important one for Coach Kelly – he’s entering the season with a new offensive coordinator and possibly a new quarterback.

BVTSB Take: Former offensive coordinator Charley Molnar has taken the head coaching job at Massachusetts (Weis’s offensive coordinator, Michael Haywood, accepted the Miami University head coaching job following the 2008 season; the 2009 season would be Weis’ last in South Bend). Entering spring practices, Andrew Hendrix was thought to be a favorite to win the starting quarterback job. Hendrix attempted 37 passes last season, completing 48.6% for 249 yards, and one touchdown. Dayne Crist has transferred to Kansas, but other quarterbacks are in the mix for the starting role, including Everett Golson, Tommy Rees, and freshman Gunner Kiel. Rees was the starter for most of last season, throwing for 2871 yards, 20 touchdowns, but 14 interceptions. There were only three games last year that Rees did not throw an interception. Running back Cierre Wood is back (1102 rushing yards, 5.1/carry, and 9 rushing touchdowns), but the Irish lose the athletic Jonas Gray (791 rushing yards, 6.9/carry, and 12 rushing touchdowns) to the NFL’s Miami Dolphins. George Atkinson III saw time at running back in the spring game and could see time this fall. With the loss of Gray, expect the rushing numbers for this unit to drop. Lineman Braxton Cave (Center, missed 2011 season, but 13 starts in 2010), Chris Watt (Left Guard, 13 starts in 2011), and Zack Martin (Left Tackle, 13 starts in 2011) all return this year. RG Mike Golic and RT Christian Lombard fill out the rest of the line. One of the biggest loses for the Irish is the talented Michael Floyd, who was drafted by the NFL’s Arizona Cardinals. In each of his last two seasons, Floyd topped 100 yards receiving, 1147 in 2011. He had nine touchdowns catches last year. Starters Robby Toma (207 yards receiving and one touchdown catch) and TJ Jones return (366 receiving yards and three touchdown catches). Expect DaVaris Daniels to fill the spot vacated by Floyd. TE Tyler Eifert does return (803 yards receiving and five touchdown catches). The lack of a deep threat could be an issue for the Irish. Notre Dame faces rivals Navy (at Dublin, Ireland), Purdue (at home), Michigan State (at East Lansing, Michigan), Michigan (at home), Stanford (at home), Pittsburgh (at home), Boston College (at Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts), and USC (at Los Angeles, California). They will also face Miami (at Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois), Brigham Young (at home), Oklahoma (at Norman, Oklahoma), and Wake Forest (at home). When the Golden Nugget Las Vegas released opening lines on June 11, 2012, they released lines for 10 of Notre Dame’s 12 games, leaving out Purdue and Wake Forest. Notre Dame is favored in 7 of those games (smallest margin is by 1 against Michigan and largest is by 13.5 against Navy); they are a three point underdog at Michigan State and a 13 point underdog against USC. Expect the Irish to be favorites against both Purdue and Wake Forest. Under Kelly, Notre Dame is 12-12-2 against the spread (8-9-2 as a favorite and 4-3 as an underdog). In 2010 and 2011, the Irish lost to at least one opponent in which they were more than a touchdown favorite (Tulsa in 2010 and South Florida in 2011). Its’ a make or break year for Kelly.

2012 Early Projection: 8-4

To see the 2012 Independent schedules, click here.

What are your thoughts on Notre Dame football? Tweet to us @BVTSB.

Poll

How many wins do you expect from the Fighting Irish in the 2012 regular season?

0 wins

13 votes

1-3 wins

7 votes

4-6 wins

72 votes

7-9 wins

323 votes

10-12 wins

102 votes

517 votes | Poll has closed

Notre Dame Football Recruiting 2012: Opinions on the Offensive Line (and LS too)

Jim Miesle — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 11:00:04 -0000

Welcome to the second of a five part, in-depth series on the 2012 Notre Dame football recruiting class. I unveiled the OFD average grades for the newest members of the Fighting Irish family on the day after NSD.

The grades for QB and RB can be found here.

This installment focuses on OT Ronnie Stanley, OG/OC Mark Harrell and LS Scott Daly.

The transcript from Coach Brian Kelly's press conference on national signing day can be found here.

Official OFD Recruit Grading Scale:

95-100: Elite impact freshman with All-American potential

90-94: Multi-year starter with All-conference potential

85-89: Eventual starter with chance to play as underclassman

80-84: Raw prospect with decent potential but a couple years away from impact

75-79: Likely a backup

70-74: Reach by the coaching staff

Note: All Height/Weight/40 times as listed on 247Sports.com

OT Ronnie Stanley

Las Vegas, NV - Bishop Gorman - 6'6"/285/5.00

OFD Average: 89

Ronnie Stanley Highlights (via 247SportsStudio)

More after the jump.

Brian Kelly's thoughts from the signing day press conference:

Out of Bishop Gorman high school in Las Vegas, Nevada, Ronnie Stanley. He's probably as gifted of an offensive linemen that we have seen in many years. A great basketball player but also when it comes to football, just has all the things necessary to be that left tackle, if you will, when you use that term. He can bend, he plays with toughness, he has a skill level already that is very, very impressive. I know Coach Elstan was excited about getting the opportunity to spend time and be one on one with Ronnie, as you know he's played in a number of the All Star games but, again, he gives us that athleticism at the tackle position and he's still growing, 6'6", 280 pounds and brings that athleticism that we look for at the tackle position.

Whiskey: 84

Stanley has a great skill set and gets after it but he is also pretty raw. I think he spends this year developing and competes for time in ‘13.

Eric: 90

Very similar body to Jarron Jones, but without the defensive line skills. Future starting left tackle with terrific potential. Love the determination and drive when blocking. Will have the benefit of sitting for a year or two. Borderline elite recruit and eventual multi-year starter.

Burger: 89

Just like all of Notre Dame's recent offensive line recruits, Stanley is big, physical, and athletic. He has the skills to play anywhere on the line, so whether he ends up at tackle or inside at guard remains to be seen. He's got the size to play right away, but chances are good he'll redshirt in 2012.

Jim: 91

Prototype tackle for the spread-athletic, moves well, able to block in space and downfield. Will likely have the benefit of spending 2012 in the weight room and learning the schemes, then should break the two-deep in 2013.

OG/OC Mark Harrell

Charlotte, NC - Charlotte Catholic - 6'5"/270

OFD Average: 81

Mark Harrell (recruiting video) (via NCSAfootball)

Brian Kelly's thoughts from the signing day press conference:

Out of Charlotte Catholic in Charlotte, North Carolina, Mark Harrell. I think when you talk about this class, it's still about Notre Dame and how they fit here, the right kind of guys and how they fit in here. And I know you hear that all of the time, RKGs, they have to be RKGs. They have to have the right character traits, they have to understand Notre Dame and the value of an education, and Mark Harrell comes from that environment. He's got a great family, he's very versatile, he's played at the center position in All Star games; he's played the tackle position, tight end. He's somebody when you talk about an offensive lineman, who can bend, he's flexible, has good feet, and we like the fact that he is an intense competitor. He will fit in very well with our offensive linemen.

Whiskey: 80

Cross training at center might help him get on the field sooner. He is quick and well suited to the interior line. Like most offensive linemen he will need some development time.

Eric: 80

Quality linemen with good power and surprising strength. Moves pretty well but needs more weight on his frame. Should be in the discussion for playing time after a couple years in the program.

Burger: 80

Harrell can certainly move for a guy his size. He needs to get stronger before he can be a full-time contributor on the offensive line, though. All signs point to him playing at center, which is a position of need for Notre Dame. If he can develop, he can bring a lot of athleticism to the position.

Jim: 82

I really like the versatility here, as he has been working on snapping the ball with a coach for a while now. Probably projects to be more of a Mike Golic Jr type-able to play all the interior positions but will mainly focus on center. May look like a bit of a project at first glance, but is a solid addition and could surprise many down the road.

LS Scott Daly

Downers Grove, IL - Downers Grove South - 6'4"/230

OFD Average: 80

Scott Daly Senior Highlight Video 2011 for Chris Rubio Award (via mayrdaly)

Brian Kelly's thoughts from the signing day press conference:

In each class there are specialists, and last year, as you know, we took a kicker in our class. This year we went with a long snapper, Scott Daly, from Downers Grove. Not often do you specialize, it sometimes might be two or three years before you do that, a lot of times a long snapper will walk on. His value will be seen immediately, and his value and the kind of kid he is somebody we could not overlook, especially somebody that brings that skill set to our football team.

Whiskey: 80

The #1 snapper in the country will most likely take over in ‘13 after Cowart is gone. Unless of course he's able to take his job right away.

Eric: 80

Will redshirt and start at long snapper in 2013 after Cowart graduates. Very polished and precise in what he does. You will not find many better at this age.

Burger: 80

Can we start calling Notre Dame "Long Snapper U"? Notre Dame signed Daly, the top long snapper in the nation, this year, got Jordan Cowart a few years ago, and J.J. Jansen is firing off snaps for the Panthers in the NFL.

Jim: 80

What else is there to say other than he is the #1 long snapper out of high school. It will be interesting to see if there is an open competition with Cowart or he sits out a year. Can be both the short and long snapper of the future, with extremely fast snapping times. Will really help in special teams once he sees the field.